Pumpkin Sunrise

Oh my, I'm still feeling all busy after this weekend.  Funny though,  I sat all day yesterday reading my book, The Brothers Karamazov until it was time to leave for Saturday evening Mass.  I love that I read a bunch but my body was sore from the sedentary existence.  How sad.  I remember when I could sit all day long as a teen reading and I don't remember being sore.  Go figure.    Today, we drove up to Scranton for Beautiful The Carole King Musical.  The show was fantastic!  Last year we saw Rent at the same venue.  I love going to the theater and the drive is merely one hour.  If you have a chance to see this musical, I highly recommend it. Some time in the late summer, the cultural center will release the new season of shows.  Can't wait to see what will be arriving. After the show, we drove home, picked up our son who arrived an hour earlier from Penn State and we were off for a dinner together. I'm tired but I really wanted to post this toni

This is the first year our flowering apple tree has decided to show off its blossoms.  Isn't it beautiful?  Our brother in law gave us this little tree a few years ago.  This is the tree that Frodo loves to sit under for some shade from the sun. Isn't it amazing how spring decides to arrive and stay?  I'm enjoying the beginnings of a beautiful season.  The month of May reminds me of my grandmother (dad's mom) and her love of springtime.  Her garden was filled with spring bulbs and various flowers.  She had a climbing rose bush that grew over a trellis with a seat on each side.  As children we would try to sit on the benches but the bees were too bothersome.  Now we have a possible bee extinction. I worked a babysitting 8 hour day on Monday and, wow, that was a long day for me.  Even with a nap time squeezed into the afternoon (for her not me).  I enjoy taking her for a stroller walk around the town while the weather is cooperative.  Since she is two years old

If you knew me well, you'd know that me being on my phone is a frequent sight :)  Oh my, I love this cardigan  for my sister.  Based on Ravelry data, this is the fifth time I've knit this particular design from Ann Budd's book Top Down Raglan Sweaters  a must-have book in a well developed knitting library, in my opinion. And yes, I could knit this again and again.  Love it!  When I finished my last sweater - Silverleaf  - my sister was visiting and she tried it on.  She loved it! At that moment, I knew I was going to knit one for her.  I didn't keep it a surprise because I wanted her to choose her own yarn in a color she would like.  Madelinetosh Sock yarn is my go to yarn for this sweater because the superwash wool relaxes the garment to the perfect size. I've sewn in my custom labels from Dutch Label Shop  (I posted about them here )  I forgot to photo!! But there is a hint of the labels in this post . Ravelry notes are here

My grandmother loved to say 'haste makes waste' and on Friday that was truth!  I am relaxed and calm and I quickly solved a tiny issue with my photos, easy peasy.  So maybe I need to slow down and take my time..  Maybe.  (Gram stole that saying from Ben Franklin) My grandmother also loved to say 'a watched pot never boils' ( again she lifted that from Franklin as well).  Every time I make a cup of tea, the pot boils way faster when I am not standing there waiting for it.  Go figure! Look at that Holly lying in front of the sliding door acting like a true lioness.  Yes, Frodo is under his ottoman and yes, he is leaving her alone.  Shall we say that there is progress?  Yes.  But it's not fast enough for me!  There are still some crazy chases going on around here.  So Friday started frazzled as I said in my last post, but then the events became even crazier.  You see, my son was at a conference for the week in Banff, Alberta.  My husband was at a conference

I am having one of those days where nothing goes as I expect or plan and I feel behind schedule and it's not even nine a.m.  When this happens, I feel stressed out and out of sorts.  But then, who doesn't feel like that?  I had some technical difficulties on my computer (I think I solved them).   Also an appointment for early this morning was woefully late not due to me, however, all is well.  For now.  Gee whiz! Can you see spring time in my photos?  Ah, not only are there blooms everywhere I turn, we had two days in the 90s.  What the hell?  I had my AC going and sadly could not even bare to crack a window open because the fresh spring air was absent.  Starting today, the temps will go down and we will once again revert back to regularly expected seasonal weather. This week I've really felt the benefits of six months of gym going.  I feel stronger and my back has been the best it's ever been.  Truly, a miracle!  I can lift that toddler and squat and well

I've just realized that all of my knitting projects are big knitting projects, does this mean that I should cast on a small project?  Hmm.  I wonder.  My Holey shawl is a fun knit.  I already have the pattern memorized, which is truly one of the wonderful facets of knitting. I'm on the second sleeve of my sister's cardigan !  Drum roll, trumpets blaring, all the fanfare that a sweater close to being done deserves.  I love knitting this sweater and especially for the bestest sister I could ever have in the whole wide world!  Yep.  She reads this blog and she knows how special she is. I predict this sweater will be done in a week.  Phew. I haven't been knitting much on my last project, Dusk at Elk River Shawl .  However, last night I did about six rows and am nearing to the lacy portion of the pattern.  I'm excited to get to the intricate part and I also think I need switch over to some longer knitting needles. I started The Brothers Karamazov  yeste

Hello!  Once again I'm wrapping up another weekend.  Last weekend was all about traveling and this weekend was staying home sweet predictable home.  Sigh.  I love being home.  My photos are sparse since I read a ton on Saturday finishing up Never Let You Go  and I can definitely let that book go - I didn't enjoy it and kept waiting for the big 'ta-da' moment that never came in my point of view.  Ah well, I've read way worse and when you read the really, really good books that makes life all better.  I'm trying to clear up my current reads for the big behemoth of a book,  The Brothers Karamazov.  You and I both know this classic novel will not be my night time reading.  I'm carving out an hour or two a day for this beauty.  Today, I organized my little notebook with color coded washi tape tabs for the babysitting hour pages and the gym session pages.  I love seeing the pages fill up with dates.  Now with the washi tape I can easily flip to the frequ